Improvement in life-preservers



T B BOYD LIFE BRBSERVER.

Patented JfineZ-I, 1870 v @lwl crauthm. WASHINGTON, u. c.

triad, swat peanone.

THOMAS B. BOYD, or ST.1LOU'I-S,MISSOURI;

Letters Patent No. 104,546, ,Mteil June 21, 1870.

l IMPROVEMENT m mn-rnesnavsas. I l The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making was: the samepreserver in such formias to be drawn over 'the head of the wearer, and fit about the neck and fairlycover all parts of the body above the waist. V

The objecthcrcof is to. gain a large surface and'yolume, in which, in the li'fe-preserver pouch or bag, the

application of air for producing buoyancy is practieable. The disposition of the parts of the pouclnand .thcir conformation, is such that the air buoyant there a in shall produce a resultant tendency of support for the body of' the wearer, which shall sustain him up-- rightly in the water, ornearly in this position, without undue strain and in this regard said invention relates moreespeeially to the arrangement of the breastpiece of the pouch, to extend about the neck. to buo'y up the head, to keep the mouth; and nostrils above water, and aliorda rest for the chin.

Lastly, the said device is arranged for ready attachment-and for secure fastening to the body, the fasteniug buckles,..hooks, or straps being placed well forward,to be within easy reach of the operator.

To enable those herein skilled to make and usemy saidfimprowed device, I will now more fully describe the same, referring herein tothe accompanying' Figure 1 as a front view, to I Figure 2 as a side view, showing the prcserver as 'worn;'to 4 l Figure 3 as a plan of the pouch when spread out to exhibit the outlines thereof.

My said life-preserver will usually be formed of rub- ,bcr cloth, or other air and water-tight stuff which shall,

not be unduly stiff or cumbersome.

The form by which the material may be. out sons to produce the requisite arrangement of parts, may be taken from fig. 3. There will be generally no need to fit the pouch to the body, as it is preferable to wear the same over-some or all of the usual wearing apparel for the upper part of the body a very loose fit is not objectionable, as the pouch is well secured againstdislocation.

' detach itself, because of its inflated volume The central or shoulder-piece A of the poneh'has the neck opening a,- and at the neck seam an inflatortube, B, is well secured. Within said tube there will be a check-valve of proper form to prevent return flow of air, and. said tube will have a proper monthpiece. When the pouch is worn, the tube 13, by its position, is near the mouth of the wearer, andthe operation of inflation thus becomes easy, whenever required.

.The central piece A narrows, so as -to fit about the shoulders and pass under the arms at a, and thereupon widens to a breast-piece, O, which extends down to a waist band, D.

At the rear the cehtralpicce A joins the wide backpiece E, which, when worn by the user of the preserv- -er, fits about the back, and comes well forward, so asto join with the breast-piece O.

The back-piece E has a strap or bunch 1 which 1 usually-has tongueand eyelet-holed ends j; so as -to connect with buckles d of the waist-band 1), thus securing the whole pouch at the waist or thereabont.

At the corners of the'brcast-piece O and back-piece E of the joining edges, I- ar range hooks and eyes, 0, strings, or other titsteningdeviees, so that these parts may be readily connected.

Any desirable mode of fastening may De employed, itbeing apparentthat, by the arrangement of the parts,

and E, so far forward on the chest of the wearer, a ready adj ustmentis always practicable. l 1

The preserveidevice when inflated, will not easily pressing under the chin and fitting more or less closely to the and by the location of the JOilIlli between the parts 0 back of the head, and especially, if the lowerihsteniugs are secure, the connection and application of the power of buoyancy under the arms dislocation or tendency theret Having thus fully described my said invention,

What I claim, is-

.The combination of the parts A, G, and E, formed, arranged, and fastened substantially as and 'for the purpose set forth.

In testimony of said invention, I have. hereunto set my hand in the presence of- Tues. 13. BOYD.

witncsscsz' Gnol P. Hnm'unn, Jn, WILLIAM W. Humane.

precludes any danger of l 

